Those tiny plastic wedge ZIF closures for fine pitch foil/ribbon cable.

[N_Cook]

Awkward small DVD player with short ribbon. Requiring holding case open
vertically and trying to replace the wedge through the available access
space. Drops into the works somewhere and will not come out with turning and
shaking. In the process I assume its dropped on to the floor or something.
Has to be considered lost or very time consuming dismantling of everything
inside , in controlled conditions, and lost on floor anyway probably. So set
about thinking of how to make a replacement. Came back to the player for a
last attempt and the clip dropped onto the now under-placed sheet of
newspaper.
Anyway for next time , in earnest, any ideas on making a get-by
replacement.?
This one ribbon 13.5mm wide, wedge part of clip 13.3mm wide , wedge .3mm
down to .2mm over about 1.5mm.
Assuming near impossibility of making such a small plastic wedge with
uniformity across width.
1/ rubber, conventional or silicone, strip somewhere between .3 to .5mm
thick pushed into the slot with jewellers flat screwdriver. Then as cannot
think of source of small square section plastic, a matchstick laid over the
top and glued on the end cheeks?
2/ Its quite easy to make hotmelt string (when very hot melt) order of .2 to
..5mm diameter of reasonable uniformity over 20mm runs, just not
predeterminable , so select afterwards. Squashed into the slot but would it
relieve over time and loose closure force. Then match stick over top
3/ any other ideas asuming any salvaged ones you have, will be wrong
dimensions.?

 

[N_Cook]

Reminder to myself for the next such awkward situation.
Like when refixing circlips I tie a piece of thread around the clip and tie
down the thread before squashing over the pin.
Glue a piece of thread to the ZIF wedge clip

 

[Smitty Two]

Awkward small DVD player with short ribbon. Requiring holding case open
vertically and trying to replace the wedge through the available access
space. Drops into the works somewhere and will not come out with turning and
shaking. In the process I assume its dropped on to the floor or something.
Has to be considered lost or very time consuming dismantling of everything
inside , in controlled conditions, and lost on floor anyway probably. So set
about thinking of how to make a replacement. Came back to the player for a
last attempt and the clip dropped onto the now under-placed sheet of
newspaper.
Anyway for next time , in earnest, any ideas on making a get-by
replacement.?
This one ribbon 13.5mm wide, wedge part of clip 13.3mm wide , wedge .3mm
down to .2mm over about 1.5mm.
Assuming near impossibility of making such a small plastic wedge with
uniformity across width.
1/ rubber, conventional or silicone, strip somewhere between .3 to .5mm
thick pushed into the slot with jewellers flat screwdriver. Then as cannot
think of source of small square section plastic, a matchstick laid over the
top and glued on the end cheeks?
2/ Its quite easy to make hotmelt string (when very hot melt) order of .2 to
.5mm diameter of reasonable uniformity over 20mm runs, just not
predeterminable , so select afterwards. Squashed into the slot but would it
relieve over time and loose closure force. Then match stick over top
3/ any other ideas asuming any salvaged ones you have, will be wrong
dimensions.?

I've worked with various ZIF ribbon cable sockets and they all had
closures that were designed to stay attached to the socket in one way or
another. Removable, but not meant to be removed for service.

 

[N_Cook]

I've worked with various ZIF ribbon cable sockets and they all had
closures that were designed to stay attached to the socket in one way or
another. Removable, but not meant to be removed for service.

Same with this one but my fingernails or finger muscles must be too strong.
Begs the question - what is the correct method for removing these wedges ?
In a controlled manner so only 2mm of movement either end, and no more, so
the sub-mm pauls don't shear off in the process of overcoming the grab
force.

 

[N_Cook]

I've worked with various ZIF ribbon cable sockets and they all had
closures that were designed to stay attached to the socket in one way or
another. Removable, but not meant to be removed for service.

I forgot that I did try with the closer wedge in place, located on end
cheeks, so perhaps nibs not broken.
It was not possible to put the ribbon back in through the gap without
pushing the closer in place before the ribbon had bottomed in the connector.

 

[N_Cook]

A thought for re-assembly next time. A weak piece of rubber band from a
party balloon about 5mm wide. That would go around the wedge clip and hold
to the blue (usually) piece of celluloid stiffener positioned and held above
the lands section of the ribbon. When the ribbon is in place in the socket
then slide the closer down the 4 or 5 mm into the socket

 

[Smitty Two]

Same with this one but my fingernails or finger muscles must be too strong.
Begs the question - what is the correct method for removing these wedges ?
In a controlled manner so only 2mm of movement either end, and no more, so
the sub-mm pauls don't shear off in the process of overcoming the grab
force.

It's easy to ham-fist the things, because they aren't exactly sized for
the human hand. A very small screwdriver or hooked dental probe to
unlatch either end in turn evolved as one good approach, and fingernails
useful too if there's room for the finger. Certainly easy to rip right
past the tiny detents designed to hold them in the open position during
ribbon cable removal and replacement. As you noted, limited access
compounds the surgery.

I worked on (completely dismantled, modified, used selected
sub-assemblies from, etc.) a half dozen different models of camcorders
from 3 different manufacturers quite a bit during a several-year-long
R&D project, and did find mixed styles, with a different approach needed
for each. Some slide, some pivot.